Presidential poll: UPA has upper hand

The newly-floated Third Front of some regional parties may have no adverse bearing on the outcome on the chances of the candidate of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in the presidential election if one goes by the number in the electoral college.

In an electoral college of 10,98,882, the candidate backed by UPA could easily get over 5.70 lakh votes counting on Bahujan Samaj Party's vote share of 58,300 given the latest development in the Taj Corridor case.

The National Development Alliance candidate is expected to bag only 3,54,689 votes, given the strength of Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies. The unattached parties like All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Telugu Desam Party, Assam Gana Parishad and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which recently floated the Third Front, carry a total of 1,06,281 votes.

Even if the votes of the newly-floated Third Front is counted with the NDA, it can garner only 4,60,970 votes, leaving it short by over one lakh votes as compared to the UPA candidate.

Though the eight-party grouping's Third Front is yet to decide as to whom it is going to support, an independent Bhairon Singh Shekhawat or a UPA candidate, there were clear indications from their leaders that they are not going to support a Congress or a BJP candidate for the top job.

While TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has ruled out supporting any BJP candidate, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh too has ruled out backing a Congress candidate.

However, Singh has clearly said they would be happy to vote for a Left parties' candidate for the post if they decided so.

The NDA votes (3,54,689) consist of BJP (2,46,593), Janata Dal-United (24,313), SHS (21,590), Biju Janata Dal (19, 829), Janata Dal-Secular (11,938), Shiromani Akali Dal (12,728), Trinamool Congress (7,243), SDF (1,656), NPF (1,603), MNF (1,600), SJP (716) and National Conference (4,164).

The UPA's strength comprises INC (2,85,516), CPI-M (94,753), Rashtriya Janata Dal (30,822), Revolutionary Socialist Party/Forward Block (13,341), Nationalist Congress Party (24,007), Jharkhand Mukti Morch (6,452), Lok Jan Shakti Party (4,594), MUL (716), AIMIM (1,456), KEC (1,324), Republican Party of India (A) (716), ABLTC (208), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (29,898), Pattali Makkal Katchi (8,150), Telangana Rashtra Samiti (7,428) and People's Democratic Party (2,584).

The third front votes consist of AIADMK (19,328), Indian National Lok Dal (4,944), TDP (14,116), AGP (4,216), Samajwadi Party (59,757) and MDMK (3920).

In the 2002 Presidential election, incumbent A P J Abdul Kalam secured 9,22,884 votes as against Lakshmi Sehgal, backed by Left parties, got merely 1,07,366 votes.